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Wildlife in Panna National Park
One of the
most significant ecological aspects of the Reserve is that the
district Panna makes the northern most boundary of natural
distribution of teak and the eastern limits of teak-kardhai mixed
forests.
The Ken river, which flows through the Reserve from south to north, is
the home for long snouted crocodile (gharial) and Marsh Crocodile (maggar)
and other aquatic fauna. It is one of the sixteen perennial rivers of
M.P. and is truly the life-line of the Reserve. It offers some of the
most spectacular scenery while it meanders for about 55 km. through
the Reserve.
The terrain of the Reserve is characterised by extensive plateaus and
gorges. The topography in the Panna district part of the Reserve can
broadly be divided into three distinct tablelands - the upper Talgaon
Plateau, the middle Hinouta Plateau and the Ken valley while there are
series of undulating hills and plateaus on the other side of Ken river
in the Chhatarpur district.
The Reserve's most undisturbed habitat of about 70-80 sq. km. lies on
the Hinouta plateau. This is due to relocation of three villages from
this area in 1980s. Dry and short grass habitat with open woodland is
quite extensive. It supports Blue Bull (nilgai) and chinkara. The
areas with tall grasses associated with woodland, support good
densities of sambar and chital. Mesic areas are distributed along the
major seasonal streams and in the Ken river valley. Steep slopes of
plateaus are drier and are dominated by Acacia catachu. Distribution
of these habitats creates a heterogeneous landscape, where ecological
conditions vary seasonally.
Panna Tiger Reserve is most important PA in the north-central
highlands of India, as it links the eastern and western populations of
wild animals through the NE-SW running Vindhyan ranges.
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